Dhalia

Dahlia
If ever there was a flower that knew the meaning of variety, it is the Dahlia. While it's colors are limited to the warm ranges of red, orange, yellow, pink and white, it's flowers come in a dizzying array of shapes and sizes. Dahlias are grouped into 6 size categories:
• Giant - more than 10 inches in diameter
• Large - 8-10 inches in diameter
• Medium - 6-8 inches in diameter
• Small - 4-6 inches in diameter
• Miniature - 2-4 inches in diameter
• Mignon - Less than 2 inches in diameter
On top of that, they are grouped into 11 bloom categories. These include:
• Decorative
• Cactus
• Fimbriated
• Ball
• Waterlily
• Anemone
• Collarette
• Orchid
• Peony
• Single
• Novelty
Each variation of the dahlia petal is a beauty. Their petals can be spiky, wispy, round thin or a half dozen other variations. Even the color ranges from one solid color to a painted mixture of two or three colors.
Dahlias like well, drain, humus rich soil. They also like full light. While dahlias are not cold hardy, they do benefit from being grown in a cooler climate with plenty of rain fall.
Dahlias bloom from mid summer all the way up to frost. Many times their displayed will become more spectacular as the weather cools. Dahlias produce a better display if they are properly deadheaded and pinched.